Detection of complement activation in immune complex diseases: six methods compared. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1987. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Detection of complement activation in immune complex diseases: six methods compared.

Clin Chem. 1986 Dec;32(12):2170-4. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/87052195
Sun T; Stagias J

Abstract: We compared the performance of six complement tests: electrophoresis, immunofixation, immunoelectrophoresis, and nephelometric quantifications of C3, C4, and C3d. We used 123 blood samples from 60 control subjects and 63 patients with immune complex diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, rheumatoid arthritis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, renal diseases, vasculitis, cryoglobulinemia, Gram-negative bacteremia, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatic heart disease, malaria, and chronic active hepatitis. Immunofixation and quantification of C3d were better for detecting complement activation, their sensitivity rates (90.5% and 89.3%, respectively) being higher than those of the other tests studied. Immunofixation is a relatively simple and inexpensive test, provides good resolution of protein bands, and yields results that are easily quantified with a densitometer. Nephelometry of C3d provides more rapid and accurate quantitative results than immunofixation, but commercial reagents are not yet available. The causes of false-positive results in complement tests and the mechanisms of complement activation in AIDS are also discussed.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/IMMUNOLOGY Blood Proteins/ANALYSIS Comparative Study *Complement Activation Complement 3/ANALYSIS Electrophoresis/METHODS False Positive Reactions Human Immune Complex Diseases/DIAGNOSIS/*IMMUNOLOGY Immunochemistry Nephelometry and Turbidimetry JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/immunologybloodproteins/analysiscomparativestudyKWDcomplementactivationcomplement3/analysiselectrophoresis/methodsfalsepositivereactionshumanimmunecomplexdiseases/diagnosis/KWDimmunologyimmunochemistrynephelometryandturbidimetryjournalarticle
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M8730084

Copyright © 1987 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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